CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The school environment before now has not been considered as one of the factors that affect academic performance in secondary schools; hence it has little or no attention in educational consideration. But over past decades’ remarkable studies have indicated a correlation between the environment and academic performance of students.

1.1 Background Of The Study

The system of education is centered on academic achievement of students, making it a fertile ground for research work and learning to take place effectively. This can only be achieved when proper and congenial environment is provided for children in classroom, their learning environment play an inherent role in molding the innate potentialities of the individual and school has always been regarded as an important factor to students’ performance.

Education of a child and his achievement is determined by a large extent of varied and dynamic role of teachers, and the facilities provided by them for child’s education. Since the environment influences the academic performance of the students, the research tries to find out the effect of the school environment element on students’ academic achievement.

This study is intended to examine these various school environment elements used by students in some of the secondary schools in Buea Municipality, affects the performance of students. There are a number of these school environment elements such as classrooms, library, computer lab, chapels, canteen, school farm, dormitories and health unit. But our study will only be limited to three specifics such as the classroom, library, and computer lab. The way students use these school environmental elements still pose, as reflected to students’ academic performance which is why the researcher has set to examine the influence of the school environment on students’ academic performance.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Educational institutions have received much criticism recently, that school environments have dilapidated building, equipped with outdated facilities and teachers at times work under unsafe condition. Likewise, students are sometimes left with no option but to receive lessons under poor ventilated classrooms, poor lighting, large class size and poor sound system because of lack of structures (buildings). According to Ajao (2001) the quality of education does not only depend on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their studies, but also in the effect coordination of the school environment. The high levels of student’s academic performance may not be argumented where instructional space such as classrooms, libraries, laboratories are structurally defective.

The researcher has noticed all these odd behaviours in students and attributed them to the school environment used by the students. This situation caught her curiosity and attention, and she has decided to find out how students’ use of the environment influences students’ performance within the Buea municipality.

1.3 Purpose Of The Study

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of school environment on students’ academic performance in the Buea municipality.

This study seeks to investigate;

1. The relationship between school environment and the students’ academic performance.
2. The impact of school facilities on the academic performance of students in secondary schools.
3. The factors such as class size that has been perceived to promote or inhibit students’ learning in the academic process of students in secondary school.

1.4 Objectives Of The Study

The objective of this study is to find out how;

1. Students’ use of learning facilities affects their performance.
2. Students’ use of playground affects his or her performance.
3. Students’ use of social facilities influences his or her performance.

1.5 Research Question

1. How does students’ use of learning facilities influence their academic performance?
2. How does students’ use of playground affect his or her academic performance?
3. How does students’ use of social facilities influence his or her academic performance?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

–           HA: students’ use of learning facilities has significance on their academic performance.

–           Ho: students’ use of learning facilities has no significance on their academic performance.

–           HA: students’ use of playground has a significance on their performance.

–           Ho: students’ use of playground has no significance on their academic performance.